Heart Attacks in Young Adults: 6 Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Heart attacks don’t just happen to old people. In fact, hospitals admit millions of young adults each year for heart-related issues. Since heart attacks can strike at any age, all young adults should know six warning signs of a young heart attack.

1. Physical Discomfort

The easiest heart attack warning sign to identify is physical discomfort. Those suffering a heart attack often report feeling pain in their jaws, shoulders, chest, neck, stomach, back, or arms. You might also have tingling or numbness in various parts of your body. Even if this pain seems to pass, you want to see a physician as soon as you can. Remember, though, many young adults suffer heart attacks without have any pain or physical discomfort at all. As such, if you notice one of the remaining warning signs on this list, you should get to a doctor as soon as you can.

2. Breathing Problems

If you are suffering a heart attack, you might find it difficult to breathe. Shortness of breath and asthma-like symptoms are classic heart disease warning signs. While physical exertion can cause anyone to breath vigorously, your breathing should quickly return to normal. If you must take shallow breaths, you should seek medical help immediately.

3. Sweating

Unprovoked sweating could indicate a problem with the heart. While anyone might notice this type of symptom, women having a young heart attack are probably more likely to break into a cold sweat. Either way, if you are sweating for seemingly no reason, your heart might be in trouble. While your doctor may want you to see a cardiologist for an official opinion, you should not ignore random sweats.

4. Nausea or Vomiting

As you probably know, a variety of ailments can cause nausea or vomiting. If you feel nauseated or vomit while experiencing other symptoms, though, you might have coronary artery disease. If you have waves of nausea that you can’t explain, you should probably schedule an appointment with your doctor.

5. Fatigue

Today’s young adults are busier than ever. As such, they are often tempted to scrimp on sleep. While everyone gets tired from time to time, excessive fatigue could indicate a problem with your heart. Because of this, if you are chronically tired, you should probably seek medical intervention. Even if your heart isn’t to blame, you likely aren’t getting the most out of life if you are going through it half asleep.

6. Irregular Heartbeat

Often, young adults suffer heart attacks due to undiagnosed congenital defects. Because of this, you should pay attention to irregular heartbeats. Similarly, if your heart seems to beat slow or fast, you should also take note. If you notice any extraordinary heartbeats, you should talk to your physician as soon as possible. Generally, if a family member has heart disease, you are at increased risk of developing it as well. Thus, if you know of heart attacks in family members, you might schedule an appointment with a cardiologist even if your heart seems to be beating normally.

Nobody wants to have a young heart attack. As you might guess, early detection of heart disease is important for saving lives. Thus, regardless of your age, if you notice one of these six symptoms, you should seek medical treatment immediately.

Weston Barnes is a write and an avid reader. When he's not writing about business, marketing, health, pets, or relationships, he's immersed in his latest book.